Table of contents for October/November #51 2022 in RECOIL OFFGRID

1. Backpack Make: Mystery Ranch Model: Rip Ruck 24 MSRP: $149 URL: www.mysteryranch.com 2. Medical Pack Make: Mystery Ranch Model: Med Lid MSRP: $100 URL: www.mysteryranch.com 3. Gloves Make: Viktos Model: LEO Riot Glove MSRP: $65 URL: www.viktos.com 4. Hat Make: Viktos Model: Notch Shield Hat MSRP: $35 URL: www.viktos.com 5. Pants Make: Viktos Model: Wartorn Pant MSRP: $115 URL: www.viktos.com 6. Shoes Make: Viktos Model: Core 2 Tiger Stripe Shoe MSRP: $120 URL: www.viktos.com 7. Shirt Make: Viktos Model: War Toys Tee MSRP: $29 URL: www.viktos.com 8. Jacket Make: Viktos Model: Alphadawn Jacket MSRP: $165 URL: www.viktos.com 9. Shirt Make: Viktos Model: Huff & Puff Tee MSRP: $29 URL: www.viktos.com 10. Shoes Make: Viktos Model: Range Trainer MSRP: $115 URL: www.viktos.com 11. Pants Make: Viktos Model: LEO Duty Pant…

To borrow a phrase from the firearms side of the house, knives have two enemies: rust and politicians. The latter is more complicated to deal with, but you can sometimes defeat the former by choosing a different blade material or treatment. A knife’s edge is composed of millions of microscopic serrations made of chemical compounds known as carbides. In blade steel, the carbide is composed of iron and carbon. The size and amount of these carbides affect how sharp a blade edge can be made as well as its wear resistance. However, because of the iron, they’re prone to rust and corrosion. For many knife users, extreme corrosion resistance is a necessity. You might need to do work in an extremely humid environment, or maybe you find yourself on the…

Weaving our way through deserted back alleys, I can tell we’ve arrived at the front. Not just from the noise of heavy 14.5s, mortar hits, and RPGs, but because driver Hussam hunches down and peers up through the windshield of our grimy Toyota pickup. He’s looking for drones. “Are you afraid of the drones?” I ask. “I am not afraid because I am putting my life for my country,” he answers. I’m not totally buying it. Although the fighters I’m with are young, they’re well-seasoned. They fought in the 2011 Revolution, but now they really don’t have a plan on how to deal with this new threat. All while being partly encircled by the forces of General Khalifa Haftar. Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) attacked Tripoli on April 4, 2019,…

Why is 0.9-percent saline solution known as “normal” saline? In 1883, a Dutch scientist named Hamburger suggested that the concentration of salts in the human body was 0.9 percent. He said that a solution of equal concentration would be a “normal” content for IV fluids, and the name stuck. Tips for IV placement > Put gloves on and connect IV tubing to the fluid bag. Flush the entire line with fluid. > If the patient is right-handed, choose a vein on the left arm and vice versa. > Start with veins farthest out from the torso and work upward, but if an IV is needed in an emergency, you may need to place it in the crook of the arm. > Apply the tourniquet snugly, about 20 to 25 cm…

As you read this, babies born on or immediately after Sept. 11 will be old enough to have their first beer. Like most of you, I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day — and it certainly doesn’t feel like 21 years ago. In a bitterly ironic twist of timing, we’re also passing the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Afghan capital of Kabul to Taliban forces. Watching a decades-long campaign that cost close to 3,000 American lives crumble on live TV in a matter of days was a tough pill for many people to swallow — particularly those of us who spent a significant amount of time there, or who had loved ones killed or wounded. In the aftermath of such…

Task, Condition, Standard — this was the mantra beaten into my head as a young Marine heading off to war, and it again followed me back when I landed in the School of Infantry to teach the Combat Hunter Program for the next decade. What am I supposed to do, what’s going to affect me doing it, and how do I know if I did it right? When it comes to situational awareness and understanding the signals the environment is giving all the time, it’s very hard to quantify these answers on paper. If you look at the term “situational awareness,” it’s right there in the name — situational. It’s completely subjective to the individual and what they bring to the table regarding education, training, and experiences. Just like in…

In the twilight of an Afghan summer, Mazar-e-Sharif brimmed with life and tenacity. On the surface, one could not have predicted that the city of half a million people and center of anti-Taliban resistance was surrounded by bloodshed and bombs, just days away from falling into the hands of a draconian insurgency led by mountain militiamen. Observing the lives of the ordinary people, I wandered through the crowded streets and overcrowded bazaars. I sat beneath the chinar trees of the famed Blue Mosque — an oasis in the midst of chaos. I marveled at the men delicately reconstructing the sea-blue tiles of the ancient mosque. I photographed youthful faces dancing as they blended concoctions of ice cream and watched Indian soap operas in a basement kebab café as darkness fell.…

“The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental.”– John Steinbeck Shooting and gunfighting aren’t the same thing. You may be able to nail the bull’s-eye every time at an indoor range or competition stage, and that’s a good sign that your fundamentals are solid. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re prepared for the enormous physiological, mental, and environmental challenges of a real-world defensive situation. Ideally, you should spend time honing both your technical shooting skills and your defensive gunfighting skills. I recently attended back-to-back Fieldcraft Survival Gunfighter Pistol and Gunfighter Carbine classes that addressed both of these important elements. One unique aspect to this class was the pair of instructors who taught it — Hunter Constantine, a sponsored competition shooter, and Lucas Aguilar, a former U.S. Army SRT…

MAKE & MODEL 1 Prometheus Design Werx ROAM Jacket EC COLORS Universal Field Gray, All Terrain Brown MSRP $245 URL prometheusdesignwerx.com NOTES Designed, cut, and sewn right here in the USA, and based directly on the classic American “Trucker Jacket,” PDW updated this style of outerwear with their Expedition Cloth. It’s made of a nylon/poly four-way Stretch Technical Soft-Shell fabric with a water-repellent coating. Comfortably cut to wear over a base layer or your favorite hoodie, the ROAM Jacket EC is also fully lined in Guide Cloth, features chest pockets specially sized for most smartphones, two hand pockets, two interior pockets, PDW’s signature hide-away pocket under the collar, snap cuffs, center placket, waist tabs, and pocket flaps. It's well-suited for cool to cold weather when worn with layers. MAKE &…

Melody Lauer is a Rangemaster Certified Advanced Handgun Instructor, Deadly Force Instructor through the Massad Ayoob Group, and Agile Training & Consulting OC/Pepper Spray Instructor. She is an NRA Certified handgun instructor with 14 years of experience teaching men and women how to defend themselves with a firearm. As the owner of Citizens Defense Research, she has dedicated herself to quality, reliable self-defense information and training. With approximately 1,000 hours of professional development, Melody is one of the leading experts on armed conflict with children present. She continues to challenge herself through active participation in her local Brazilian jiujitsu academy and works as a front-end developer for a local programming firm. Melody is a mother of three and writer dedicated to learning and sharing the most effective skills in preserving…

One of the largest advantages of a crossbow over other arrow-based weapons is that once the crossbow is cocked with a bolt at the ready, it requires no further energy from the user to maintain the readiness of the weapon. A longbow can have a draw weight of about 50 to 80 pounds, which must be maintained throughout the aiming and firing process, whereas a crossbow can have a much higher draw weight — up to 200 pounds — giving it a higher velocity. This is especially good for people with disabilities or young shooters who don’t have a great deal of upper arm strength. With a mechanical draw and a locked-in string, all one needs to do is pull the trigger. Crossbows are versatile and very accurate. They can…

Premise: Published in 2016, this book seeks to convey what military, intelligence, and homeland security believed the 21st century would hold for the United States. Author William J. Parker III assembled essays from America’s “best and brightest,” including captains, colonels, majors, PhDs, and lawyers. Each of the U.S. armed services discusses its approach to the 21st century. Analysis: The Army has moved from dominating land into a world where its role is increasingly restricted by political concerns. Land dominance focused on being an army of occupation — less so in Iraq, but more so in Afghanistan. The Army philosophy was to bring lasting change to places where America was investing its national prestige. The Navy treatise was focused on budgeting and contractor management efficiency. Future Navy missions weren’t questioned critically.…